Measurement of the ratio of differential cross sections for W and Z boson production as a function of transverse momentum in pbar p collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV

TL;DR

This paper measures the ratio of differential cross sections for W and Z boson production as a function of transverse momentum in proton-antiproton collisions, demonstrating the potential for more precise W boson property measurements using this ratio.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental test of using W/Z ratio observables to reduce uncertainties in perturbative QCD calculations at hadron colliders.

Findings

Ratios can be reliably calculated using perturbative QCD.

Using ratios reduces experimental and theoretical uncertainties.

Potential for more precise measurements of W boson mass and width.

Abstract

We report on a measurement of the ratio of the differential cross sections for W and Z boson production as a function of transverse momentum in proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV. This measurement uses data recorded by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron in 1994-1995. It represents the first investigation of a proposal that ratios between W and Z observables can be calculated reliably using perturbative QCD, even when the individual observables are not. Using the ratio of differential cross sections reduces both experimental and theoretical uncertainties, and can therefore provide smaller overall uncertainties in the measured mass and width of the W boson than current methods used at hadron colliders.